Whisper To A Scream
by NoPleaseStayHere
Summary: There's a gunman inside Riverdale High... who will survive and what will be left of them?
1. Part One

"Good morning, Sunshine," Jughead murmured into Betty's ear, placing a light kiss on her temple. He handed her a to-go cup filled with coffee, just as he had every morning since they started dating.

"Good morning," Betty smiled. She closed her locker and held her textbook under her elbow. "Where's your darling roommate?" She quipped. Jughead and Archie always showed up together.

Jughead shrugged as he sipped on his own coffee, his book-bag slung over his shoulder. "He said something about Veronica wanting to show him something before class, so they're probably in the janitor's closet making out."

Betty burst out laughing. They turned away from the bank of lockers and started towards their first class.

"Did you finish the History essay? Archie's light was out pretty early last night."

Jughead readjusted the strap on his shoulder. "Yeah, I finished it in the kitchen, Archie passed out and was snoring, so I let him get his beauty sleep." Jughead quipped as they entered the classroom.

Archie and Veronica rushed in behind them, just as the teacher started her lesson.

When their first class was over, Betty, Jughead, Archie, Veronica and Kevin all had a free period. Because it was raining heavily, they decided to go to the library.

Archie sat at a round table near a bank of windows and opened a notebook. He started to scribble down song lyrics. Jughead looked through the bookshelves and found The Killer Book of Serial Killers to pass the time. Betty did trigonometry homework, as did Kevin. Veronica read Romeo and Juliet for English.

They weren't allowed to play music in the Library for the consideration of those studying; all you could hear were pencils scratching paper and keyboards clacking.

That's when they heard it - Betty looked up from her textbook in confusion; Jughead knew exactly what it was and it made his blood run cold.

"Was that…?" Kevin whispered.

Another shot rang in the hall, louder this time, closer.

Students started scrambling around them - books and papers went flying, chairs toppled over, some students around them ran for the shelves in the back of the Library.

Jughead pulled Betty off her chair and shoved her under the table they were sitting at. "Everybody get under the table!" He hissed to his friends.

Chairs toppled over above them. Veronica and Kevin scrambled under the table next to them.

"This is a code red - repeat, this is a code red." A voice read over the PA system.

"Archie!" Jughead hissed.

Archie slowly knelt down. "Jug, I think we should move something in front of the library doors." His hands were shaking.

Another bang. This time there was screaming.

"Okay," Jughead murmured. He crawled out from under the table.

"Don't," Betty whispered. A single tear rolled down her cheek - she swiped it away furiously.

Jughead squeezed Betty's hand quickly. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Betty watched Archie and Jughead sprint away from them quickly. She had Kevin and Veronica on either side of her. Kevin was biting his lip so hard, blood had formed. Veronica was rolling her pearls between her fingers.

A single tear rolled down Betty's cheek. She slowly started counting in her mind. Was she waiting for the next gunshot, or for Jughead and Archie to come back to the table?

Another scream in the hallway.

Betty made it to twenty-one in her mind when she heard muffled footsteps. She opened her eyes to see two pairs of shoes - she knew they belonged to Jughead and Archie.

They both scrambled under the table - Jughead wrapped his arms as best he could around Betty. "Shh," He whispered in her ear. "It's okay."

"D-did you see anything?" Veronica whispered.

"No," said Archie, his voice breaking.

Betty squeezed Jughead's forearm. She could feel her nails breaking his skin, but she couldn't move.

Jughead's breath caught in his voice as they heard a fresh round of shots followed by a blood curdling scream. The room was silent when they heard the library door handle jiggle.

Veronica sucked in a breath as they heard thuds against the door. They grew louder and louder until they heard the door crack open.

Kevin was taking shallow breaths. He slowly placed his hand over Veronica's.

"Come out, come out wherever you are." A haunting voice called out.

Betty gripped Jughead's arm tighter, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"I said come out!" The voice yelled angrily, knocking a stack of books over.

Veronica shook next to Betty. Betty closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing.

"Chuck?" A voice squeaked above their table. It sounded like Ethel Muggs. "You don't have to do this."

"Back the fuck up, Ethel."

Footsteps. Betty squeezed Jughead's arm tighter. He gently brushed his thumb across Betty's hand. He hoped she couldn't tell he was shaking.

The smell of urine filled Betty's nostrils. She didn't know where it was coming from.

"Have you seen that little bitch? I know you have." Chuck hissed at Ethel. "Where is she?" Footsteps as he moved closer.

Ethel screamed, but no shots went off. It sounded like she was gasping for air.

Betty turned slowly to look at Jughead - even making the smallest of movements terrified her. Jughead's eyes were red rimmed, but she saw no tears. His face was hardened.

Ethel's body dropped to the floor in front of them - her hands were clasped around her throat; she was gasping for air.

Betty choked back a sob. She released Jughead's forearm, barely noticing the bloody marks she left behind, only to grasp his hand instead.

"C'mon bitch I know you're in here!" Chuck yelled again as he flipped a desk on the other side of the room.

A fresh round of shots went off. They heard someone gasp.

"I love you," Jughead whispered in Betty's ear. He slipped his hand out of her grasp.

Before Betty could fathom what was happening, Jughead crept out from under the table.

"Chuck, stop this." Jughead said, voice unwavering.

"Ha," Chuck spat. "I should've known if I was looking for Betty, her little bitch would show up instead."

Betty's blood ran cold.

"Why are you looking for Betty?" Jughead asked. "She's never done anything to you."

Betty felt a warm hand cup her palm. Veronica squeezed weakly.

Chuck laughed coldly. "Never done anything to me? She almost drowned me. She got me kicked off the football team. She got me suspended. She ruined my life! So now, I'm going to ruin hers."

"I can't let you do that," Jughead said firmly.

Betty peered under the table to see if she could see anything. Two pairs of feet, inches apart. Books all over the floor. Tables flipped over. Chairs pushed aside. There were two students across the room, hiding under a table. She couldn't tell who they were.

Ethel was lying on the ground, in front of the table Betty was hiding under. She was facing away from them, breathing shallowly.

"Yeah?" Chuck said menacingly. "And what are you going to do about it? You're what, 120 pounds? You need to step the fuck back and tell your girl to get out here. I've got a gun, remember?"

Betty heard the sound of the gun cocking. She wimpered audibly.

"You want her, you're going to have to get through me."

Betty saw the feet step even closer together.

"That won't be a problem."

The sound of the gun firing ripped Betty through her core.

"Jug!" She screamed. The force felt like her throat was exploding.

"Found her," Chuck murmured. She heard footsteps.

There was a sudden flurry of movement as Chuck turned towards their table. People in masks and suits tased Chuck and tackled him to the ground.

After what seemed like an eternity, they cuffed him and lead him away. Betty crawled out from under the table and over to where Jughead was laying on the ground. He was bleeding profusely.

"Jughead," Betty murmured, tears streaming down her face. She placed both hands over his wound. "Jughead, please, open your eyes." She hiccuped.

Officers rushed over to them. Sobs were wracking Betty's body.

"Jughead don't leave me. I'll be lost without you," She whispered, cupping her hands over his wound. Blood was still rushing out of him. His breathing was shallow.

"We need to move him, Miss, and you need to come with us." Someone pulled her up by her underarms.

"Betty," Veronica sobbed as they were rushed away from the scene.

"I can't leave him," Betty whimpered brokenly. "Please."


	2. Part two

Betty tried to hold back a sob as she entered the Emergency Room entrance. There was blood staining her pink sweater, her usual taut ponytail was hanging loosely over her shoulder. She wrung her hands together as the nurse looked up at her.

"I-I'm here to see Jughead Jones. I don't know if he's -" A fresh round of tears spilled over Betty's lashes and down her cheeks.

"He's in surgery right now, dear. You'll have to take a seat." The nurse gave her an apologetic smile and nodded toward the row of seats in the waiting room.

Betty couldn't tell how long she sat there wringing her hands and staring at a scuff mark on the linoleum floor. It could've been minutes; it could've been hours.

Eventually, Veronica, Kevin and Archie joined her. They were wearing the same clothes they'd been wearing in school, she noticed. They tried to ask her questions, but she couldn't hear them.

Veronica, Betty realized, had knelt in front of her and was reaching for her hand.

"It should've been me," Betty heard herself say. Fat tears were rolling down her cheeks again.

"Don't say that," Veronica whispered, tears threatening to spill over. "Don't say that!" She repeated.

Veronica pulled Betty into her arms. Betty was stiff, her arms rigid by her sides.

"It's true. It should've been me, and now Jughead's lying in - in an Emergency Room because I couldn't crawl out from under a table and face some asshole who " Betty's voice quavered. " - Who w-wanted to -" Betty's voice broke once more, tears flowing down her face.

"Betty look at me," Veronica said soothingly. She cupped Betty's face gently in her hands. "Neither of you deserved this. Okay? Neither of you."

Betty took a deep, shaking breath and nodded slowly.

"Betty?" Archie said quietly. "My Dad is on his way. He doesn't think they'll tell us anything about Jug without an adult and they can't reach F.P."

Betty nodded once more. Veronica returned to her seat, gripping Betty's hand tightly.

When Fred arrived, he trudged directly to Betty and encapsulated her in his arms. They stayed like that until F.P. Jones walked into the waiting room.

"Betty," F.P. started. Fred squeezed Betty's shoulder and handed her off to F.P.

Fred sat in Betty's chair, hugging Archie, Veronica and Kevin as he made himself comfortable.

Betty embraced F.P. "I'm sorry," She cried into his chest. "It's my fault, I'm sorry, it should've been me."

"What happened?" F.P. murmured as Betty released her grip.

"W-we were in the library and we heard gunshots, so Jughead told us to get under the table." Betty said hurriedly. "Chuck came in when we were hiding and he said he was looking for me - when he figured out where we were, Jughead crawled out from under the table t-to protect me." She sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. It should've been me." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

F.P. took Betty by the shoulders and tilted her chin until she looked him in the eye. "Listen to me," he murmured. "This is nobody's fault except Chuck's. And Chuck is sick. Okay? It is not your fault." F.P. wiped the tears off Betty's face.

Betty's swallowed, trying to ebb the flow of tears.

F.P. put his hands on Betty's shoulders to guide her back to the seating section as a doctor entered the room, murmuring to the nurse to call F.P. over.

Jughead was lying in the hospital bed, too many machines hooked up to him. Betty took a deep, shaking breath and leaned into F.P. They walked together to Jughead's bedside.

"C'mon son, I cleaned up the trailer. Wake up so you can come home to me," He said quietly, placing a hand of Jughead's hat-less head.

The doctors fished the bullet out of Jughead's chest, dodging, luckily, his heart and lungs. He had lost a lot of blood.

"Please wake up Jughead," Betty murmured. She bit her lip to try and stop from crying. "Please, Jughead. I need you. You saved my life, I'll be lost without you. Please stay with me."

Betty's bottom lip quivered. She pulled a chair over to his bedside, sitting down and holding Jughead's hand. Machines beeped loudly around them.

"Y'know, I honestly think you're the best thing that's ever happened to that boy." F.P. said as he took Jughead's other hand.

Betty shook her head. "Look what I've done to him."

"What did I tell you about that? Stop it. You can't blame yourself."

"F.P.?" Betty murmured after a moment. "I - I don't want to overstep, but I really don't want to leave him."

F.P. shook his head. "You're family, Betty. I won't let them make you leave." He promised.

At some point, they both fell asleep, grasping Jughead's hands. Doctors and nurses were in and out throughout the next twelve hours.

Betty woke up before F.P., leaving only to get them both coffee. Veronica, Kevin, Archie and Fred were still in the waiting room in various stages of sleep.

F.P. was awake when Betty returned with the coffee, a grim look on his face.

Betty couldn't help it - a fresh wave of tears started, terrified of Jughead's fate.

After another few hours, F.P. stood up to go to the washroom. Betty gripped Jughead's hand as F.P. left the room.

"We both need you here, Jughead. Please? Your dad needs you. I need you. I haven't had enough time with you yet - we haven't gotten through your "Must See" list of movies," Betty chuckled sadly, a tear slipped down her cheek. "I haven't met your mom or sister. I haven't told you I love you. Please don't leave me," She sobbed. She looked down at their hands intertwined.

Jughead's eyes opened slowly. "It's going to take more than that to get rid of me," He said slowly.

Betty's head snapped up. "Jughead? Oh my god, you're awake." She kissed his hand. "I'm sorry, Juggie, I'm so sorry."

Jughead closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then winced. "Don't you apologize, Bets. It's -" He took another, slower breath. "- It's not your fault."

Betty bit her lip.

"By the way," Jughead breathed. "I love you too."


End file.
